Gas producer



April 21, 1931.

F. H. TREAT GAS PRODUCER Filed Deo. 2l 1924 6 Sheets-Sheet l MMM APIil21; 1931 F. H. 'TREAT 1,801,398

GAS PRODUCER Filed Dec. 2, 1924 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 21, 1931. F, H,TREAT 1,801,398

GAS PRODUCER Filed Dec. 2, 1924 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR 7W fis/.1-

. y u1 muy A April 21, 1931. y F. AH. TREAT GAS PRODUCER Filed D ec. 2-1924 6 sheets-sheet 4 HAWNML April 21, 1931. F H' TREAT 1,801,398

= GAS PRODUCER Filedweo. 2, 1924 6 sheets-sheet 5 INVENTOR pril Zi,1931. H, TREAT 1,801,398

GAS PRODUCER l Filed Dec. 2, 1924 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR PatentedApr. 21, 1931 FRANCES H. TREAT, OF BELLEVUE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALFTO DUFF 'PATENTS COMPJNY, ENC., Ol? TTSB'RCTH, PNNEZLTANA, f2.CORPORATGN 'QF PENNSYL- VAN 1A; GRCE E. TREAT illDlYIfltfiTR- -SID E.TREAT, BECEASED GAS PRODUCER Application filed December 2, 1924.*'Seria1No. 753,433.

rllhe present invention relates to gas producers, and more particularlyto gas producers of the type having vmechanical means for supplying fuelto the fuel bed and for YaGitatir-G the fuel bed.

H retifore, in the operation of gas producers in which the fuel issupplied to and distributed over the fuel bed mechanically, it has beenthe practice to supply the moisture for the blast in the form of steamgenerated exteriorly of the gas producer. The heat required forproducing this steam amounted to about ten per cent of the total heatconsumption in the operation of the gas producer. The water for coolingthe agitators and the feeding and distributing means, as well as thewater for the water seals at the top ofthe producer, when it becameheated to such an extent that it was no longer effective for cooling,was allowed to run to waste.

By the present invention l provide a gas producer of the mechanicallyoperated type having provision for supplying themoisture to the blast bydrawing the air for the blast over the surface of the cooling water.This not only serves to maintain the tempera-ture 'of the cooling waterlow, and thereby reduce the wastage of water by increasing the timeinterval between changes of the cooling" ter, but also eliminates thenecessity for producing steam by external heat and mixing such steamwith the air supplied to the blast. This method of operation materiallyreduces the operating cost of the producer. ln the specific embodimentof the invention hereinafter described l provide an exhaust fan whichdraws the air in over the cooling water A,at the top of the gas producerand supplies it, laden with moisture, to the tuyres or grate members. Y

ln the drawings Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a gasproducer embodying a preferred form ofthe present invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View of the gas producer taken on aplane approximately at right angles tothe plane of the section shown inFigure l;

Figure 3 is, a plan view, on a largerscale,

of the rotatable fuel feeding and agitating top of the producer;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the rotary distributor forming a part of saidrotary top;

Figure 5 is a vertical section on the line V-V of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the rotary distributor with its cover plateremoved;

Figure 7 is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of theparts shown in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a detail view partly in section and partly in elevation, ona larger scale, of one of the agitators;

Figure 9 is a plan view of t ie scraper meinber and guard ring carriedby the upper end of the fuel chute, and

Figures lO and 1l are, respectively, a plan view and side elevation ofthe motor and fan arrangement for sujjplying the blast.

Referring to Figures l and 2, the gas producer constituting theillustrated embodiment of the present inventionY comprises a producerbody in the form of a metal shell 2 having a suitable gas ofi-take 3,the body and olf-take having linings 4 and 5 of refractory material. Thebody is supported by means of columns 6 of which only one is shown,preferably of structural steel, one of said columns being illustrated indot and dash lines in Figure 2.

Beneath 'the shell 2 is a stationary ash pan 7 into which a mantleorapron 8, forming an extension ofthe shell 2, depends to a distance belowthe water level of the pan suflicient to provide the usual water seal.Tuyeres or grate members 9 project inwardly through the depending mantleor apron and are removably seated in openings therein. These tuyres orgrate members are uniformly spaced around the periphery of the base orshell 2 and project radially inwardly to near the axis of the shell. Theconstruction and arrangement of the parts 7, 8 and 9 are preferably thesame as shown and described in my Patent, No. 1,469,399, granted October2, 1923.

The shell 2 projects a substantial distance above its lining 4 andhas anannular upwardly and inwardly sloping cover member 10 secured at itsouter edge to the inner surface of the shell adjacent the top edge ofthe lining 4. This cover member has an annular vertical flange 11 at itsinner edge, the upper edge of said flange being substantially in the.same plane with the upper edge of the shell 2. The cover member l0,flange 1.1 and the portion of the shell 2 which projects above the covermember forni an annular trough 12 adapted to be filled with water forcoolingr the upper portions of (he gas producer and to provide a waterseal between the body and top during relative rotation therebetween.

An outer meta-l shell 13 surrounds the shell 2 and projects a slightdistance above the upper edge of the latter. The annular space betweenthe shells 2 and 13 is closed at the bottom by an annular plate 14.secured to the lower edges of said shells. This annular space is dividedinto upper and lower annular compartments 15 and 1G by a horizontalpartition 17 between the shells. The tuyeres or grate members 9communicate with the lower compartment 16.

The outer shell 13 has a horizontal annular cover plate 18. This coverplate is supported at its outer edge upon the upper edge of the shell 13and is supported intermediate its edges by hollow castings 19 carried bythe cover member 10. These hollow castings provide a series of pokeopenings 2O which are normally closed during the operation of theproducer by ball valves 21.

Projecting downwardly through t-he central opening in the cover member10 is a combined water reservoir and fuel feeding distributor 22, andwhich form a head, shown in more detail in Figures 4, 5, G and 7. Thedistributor carries an annular depending flange or apron 23 which dipsinto the water seal in the trough 12. Two segmental cover plates 24 and25 are mounted on the distributor and have their straight edges paralleland spaced equal distances from a vcrtical plane containing the verticalaxis of the distributor, thereby providing a slot 25 between said edges.The peripheral edge portions of the cover plates overhang the peripheralwall of the distributor and have an annular angle 27 secured to theunder surface thereof. The vertical flange of this angle engages theupper surface of a ring gear 28 which has a vertical flange constitutinga bearing for said vertical flange of the angle. This ring gear issecured to the inner edge of the cover plate 18.

Mounted on the cover plate 24 is a motor 29 which drives a worm 30. Thisworm engages a worm wheel 31 mounted on a horizontal shaft 32 having itsbearings in a bra cket 33 projecting upwardly from the cover plate. Theshaft 32 has a bevel pinion 34 on its end meshing with a bevel. pinion35 on a vertical shaft 36, the latter having a pinion 37 on its lowerend meshing with ring gear 28, and a pinion 38 on its upper end meshingwith a pinion 39 on a vertical stub shaft 40 carried by the bracket 33.Pinion 39 meshes with a pinion 41 on a second stub shaft 42 carried bythe bracket, and pinion 4 meshes with a gear 43 journaled on thevcrtical water pipe 44, the latter being supported in a cylindricalportion 45 of the bracket 33.

Carried by the gear 43 is a substantially circular' plate lli adapted toreceive fuel from a hopper 47, into which the fuel is delivered by aconductor 48. The fuel is prevented from spilling over the peripheraledge of the plate 4G by means of a guard ring 49. This guard ring islocated adjacent the peripheral edge ofthe plate and has an openingbetween its ends into which extends a scraper 50. Referring to Figure 9,it will be seen that the scraper and the guard ring are mounted on theupper end of a chute 51. This chute is carried by the cover plale 25 anddelivers the fuel through an opening 52 in said cover plate to adistributing chute53 formed in the distributor 22. The chute 51 has arotating poclieted fuel passing and gas sealing member 54 thereinoperatively connected to the shaft 32 by a flexible shaft lt will beapparent that as the distributor 22 and parts mounted thereon arerotated in one direction by the motor and gearing arrangement described,the plate 4G will be rotated in the opposite direction, whereby the fuelcarried thereby will be rotated against the scraper 50 and transferredby the latter to the chute 51. This fuel will be delivered in measuredquantities by the pocleted member to the distributing chute 53, whichlatter will distribute it uniformly to the fuel bed.

Supported by and depending from the top plates 56 of sleeves 57 is apair of agitators 58. These agitators are hollow, approximately L-shapedmembers, the vertical legs of which have flanges at their upper endsbolted to the cover plates, shown more clearly in Figure 8, and thehorizontal legs of which have each a series of depending hollowagitating lingers 59 which extend into the fuel bed and agitate thesaine as the distributor rotates. Brackets (SO are carried by the topplates 56 and these brackets carry nuts 61 engaged by vertical liftingscrews 62 which have a bearing at their lower ends in brackets 63carried by the cover plates 24 and 25. The sleeves 57 are located in theslot 26 between the straight edges of the cover plates 24 and 25 andguided in their vertical movements by angles 64 secured to said straightedges. The agitators pass through radial openings G5 in the bottom ofthe distributor 22 and sleeves 66 project upwardly from the edges ofthese openings and telescope loosely within the sleeves 57. It will beapparent that by turning the screws 62 the agitators can be adjusted toany desired elevation, as

illustrated in Figure 2, without withdrawing the sleeves 57 from thewater-seal in the distributor 22. Tl e combination of the agitatorworking over the radially arranged tuyeres provides particularlyadvantageous structure for controlling the fuel bed, the combustion zoneand the ash conditions in the producer, as fully pointed out in mycopending application Serial No. 1&7 ,9414, file-d Iovember 12, 1926,which constitutes a con tinuation of this application insofar as thisarrangement is concerned.

Referring to Figure-s 1, 2, 3 and 8, a water supply pipe 67 is connectedby a swivel 68 to the upper end of the vertical pipe di. To the lowerend of this pipe is connected a short horizontal pipe 69 which hasanother pipe 7 O connected to its outer end and eiztending at rightangles thereto. rIhe ends of the pipe 70 are connected by hoseconnections 71 to pipes 72 which extend into the hollow agitators. Thecooling water ows through these pipe and hose connections into theagitators and after filling the same overflows through the openings 73in the top plates 56. 'Ihese top plates are positioned below the upperedges of the sleeves 57 so that troughs 56 are formed above the plates,into which the water overflows from the agitators. 'Lach sleeve has anotch 74 (Figure 1) in its upper edge, through whichthe water from thetroughs 56' overflows into the reservoir of the distributor 22. Aftersubstantially filling the distributor, the water overflows throughopenings 75 (Figures 5 and 7) in the peripheral wall of the distributoradjacent its upper edge. The wat-er Voverflowing through the-se openingsfills the trough 12 above the cover member 10, and if not evaporated asfast as supplied thereto, spills over the upper edge of the shell 2 intothe compartment 15.

Referring to Figures 2, 10 and 11, suitably supported adjacent the outershell 13 is an exhaust fan 76 driven by a motor 77 through a belt 78.This fan is connected, through an exhaust pipe 79, with the uppercompartment 15, and through a discharge pipe 80, with the lowercompartment 16. rlhe fan draws the air for the blast through theopenings 81 in the cover plates 24 and 25 (Figure 4). This air is drawnover the surface of the water filling the reservoir of the distributor22 and then through the openings 7 5 and over the surface of the waterin the trough 12. It absorbs the vapor rising from these bodies of waterand, at the same time, retards the gradual rise in temperature of thiswater, whereby the cooling water does not have to be changed as often asin the usual method of operating gas producers. The air, laden with themoisture, is forced under pressure by the fan into the compartment 16and thence to the tuyres or grate members 9.

While I have shown and described a pref erred embodiment of myinvention, it will be understood that the invention is not limitedtothis illustrated embodiment thereof, but may be otherwiseembodiedwithin the scope of the'appended claims without departing from thespirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a gas producer of the mechanical type having a body portion and atop portion, one of which is rotatable relatively to the other, anagitator carried by the top portion with means for circulating the waterthroughv the agitator, an enclosed yannular water trough combined withthe top and body portions and providing both a sealing and coolingmedium therefor, the agitator being adapted to discharge water which hasbeen circulated therefrom into saidenclosed annular water trough, andmeans for circulating air over the surface of said water and expellingit into the producer.

2. A producer of the mechanical type wherein there is a top and a bodyhaving an annular shoulder, one of which is rotatable with` respect tothe other,having in combination means providing an annular water sealbetween the body and the top, a shell over-the annular shoulder of thebody and extending down around the sides of the body of the producer,said shell being spaced from the body to provide an air circulatingspace, a partitiony in the shell betwecnthe top and bottom of theproducer, tuyeres in communication with the space below the parti.-tion, and means for withdrawing ai-rfrom the space above thepartitionand forcing it into the space below the partition, said top having anair intake opening in the top near itscenter so that air may enter theshell land circulate over water in saidA means providing a water seal.

3. A gas producerV as recited in claim 2 cliaracterized by the provisionof a; water reservoir in the'top ofthe producer with an overlio-wadapted to deliver water into1 said means providing water sealn A 4;. Agas producer as recited in claim 2, provided with a water cooledagitator'in the said top and having a water reservoir in the top with anoverflow adapted to deliver water to said means providing a water seal,the agitator being adapted to discharge water into the water reservoir,and the air inlet t0 the shell being over the top of the water holder.

5. In a gas producer, a body and a head, one of which is rotatablerelatively to the other, an agitator carried by the head, an annulartrough around the top of the body adapted to hold water to provide awater seal between the body and the head of the pro- Y ducer, means forsupplying cooling Water to the agitator, means for discharging waterfrom the agitator into said trough, an outer shell enclosing said troughand the sides of the body, said shell being spaced away from the bodyand trough, and a fan having an intake leading to the space formedbetween the shell and the body and having a dis- 5 charge passageleading into the bottom part of the producer for drawing air over thcwater in the trough thence through the space between the shell and thebody and discharging said air into the producer.

6. The combination with a gas producer of the type having a body portionand a fuel feeding head, one of which is rotatable relatively to theother, an annular trough around the top of the body adapted to receiveWater for cooling the top of the producer and for forming a water sealbetween the fuel feeding head and body, of an outer shell surroundingthe body and the trough, means for withdrawing air from the spacebetween the shell and the producer and discharging it into the lowerpart of the producer, the space between the producer and the shellcommunicating to atmosphere through the fuel feeding head.

7. A gas producer comprising a body, a

head comprising a reservoir and a fuel distributor rotatably mounted onsaid body, agitators carried by said head, an annular Water trougharound the top of said body, an outer shell embracing the walls of thebody and the trough, a partition separating the space between the wallsand the shell into an upper and a lower chamber, means for supplyingwater to said agitators, means for directing the water through theagitators, thence to the reservoir in the head from which it overflowsinto the annular reservoir and finally into the upper chamber betweenthe walls of the head and the shell, means forming a water seal in theannular trough between said head and said body, said head having arestricted air opening in the top, and means for drawing air into saidopening, over the water in the reservoir, the annular trough and theupper chamber and finally discharg in said air into the body of theproducer.

n testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

FRANCIS H. TREAT.

